The ACT Reading section has 36 questions in 40 minutes. Most students who struggle with it can read the passages well enough; they run out of time. Knowing how the section is built makes it easier to plan your pace.
What's in the section
- Passages come from four areas: literary narrative, social science, humanities and natural science.
- At least one set is a paired passage: two shorter passages on a related topic, with questions about each and about how they relate.
- Every question can be answered from the text alone. You don't need outside knowledge of the subject.
ACT reports Reading in three categories: Key Ideas and Details (the largest), Craft and Structure, and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas.
Related: What to Expect on the ACT: Format, Scoring, and How to Prepare
Strategy 1: Budget your time per passage
Divide the section's time evenly across its passage sets, and check the clock when you finish each one. If a passage is running long, guess on the hardest remaining question and move on. There's no penalty for wrong answers, so never leave a question blank.
Strategy 2: Read for structure, not details
On a first read, aim to understand the main idea of each paragraph and the author's purpose. You'll go back for details when a question needs them. A quick note of what each paragraph does makes it easier to find things later.
Strategy 3: Prove every answer
The right answer is supported by specific words in the passage. Before choosing, find the line that backs it up. Wrong answers are often true-sounding statements the passage never actually makes, or statements that mix details from different parts of the passage.
Strategy 4: Watch for extreme wording
Answers with words like "always," "never" or "completely" are right only when the passage is just as absolute. Passages usually make measured claims.
Strategy 5: Handle the paired passages in parts
Read the first passage and answer its questions, then do the same for the second, and only then tackle the questions comparing the two. It keeps the two authors' positions from blurring together.
Strategy 6: Pick your passage order
If one passage type is consistently hardest for you, it can make sense to do it last, so a slow passage doesn't cost you time on easier ones. Keep your answer sheet or screen aligned so you don't mark answers in the wrong place.
How to practice
Do full, timed Reading sections, not just untimed passages. After each one, sort your misses into two groups: comprehension errors (you misread the passage) and timing errors (you rushed or ran out of time). Each kind needs a different fix.